Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023:
Landstar names next CEO
Landstar System, Inc. (CCJ Top 250, No. 7) announced Monday that its Board of Directors has named Frank A. Lonegro as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective Feb. 2, 2024.
James B. Gattoni, who currently serves as President and CEO, will continue to serve in that role through the date of the company’s 2023 fourth quarter earnings release conference call, currently scheduled for Feb. 1, 2024, following which he will be transitioning to the role of Special Advisor to the CEO before his anticipated retirement in July 2024.
Lonegro will also be appointed to the Board of Directors of Landstar as of his commencement as CEO, succeeding Gattoni who will be stepping down from the Board as of Feb. 2.
Lonegro is joining Landstar from Beacon Building Products, where he currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to working at Beacon, he worked for almost 20 years at CSX Corporation, a Fortune 250 rail transportation company headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.
During his long tenure at CSX, Lonegro served in a number of capacities, including Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 2015 to 2019, as well as key technology and operational roles earlier in his tenure, including President of CSX Technology, Vice President of Service Design, and Vice President of Mechanical.
“Landstar has greatly benefited from Jim’s many contributions over an almost 30-year career with the Company,” said David Bannister, Landstar’s longest-serving Board member and Chair of the Compensation Committee. “His passion for the independent business owners who make up the Landstar network has played an integral part in driving Landstar forward as a technology-driven industry leader. We wish Jim all the best in his retirement.”
Estes opens new terminal
Estes recently held a ribbon cutting at its new terminal in Richmond.Estes
The new terminal features 98 doors, over 41,000 square feet of dock space and 4,900 square feet of office space across 20 acres of land. Rob Estes, CEO, and other company executives were on site for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the facility, which is one of its largest terminals.
“In addition to being Estes’ hometown, Richmond is a critical hub for so much of the freight moved along the East Coast,” said Webb Estes, president and COO. “The new terminal and the added doors and square footage allows our drivers to get in and out quicker and those working in the terminal to keep up with demand and delivery windows.”
Located at 6800 Route 1, North Chesterfield, Va. 23237, the new Richmond terminal replaces the freight carrier’s previous Richmond terminal that has been operating since August 1984.
“Having more doors and new e-dock capabilities in a major hub like Richmond ensures our shipments move off the dock faster, allowing our team to constantly stay in cycle,” added Sean Farley, district sales manager at Estes.
Energy-efficient interior/exterior lighting throughout the terminal uses 85% less electricity than conventional lighting, further aligning with Estes' sustainability efforts. The terminal also utilizes a host of technologies to streamline the facility’s operations including an e-dock inventory management system, a line haul dispatch app, and automated tools to measure dimensions of incoming freight.
